JP4086446B2 - Design support apparatus, design support method, and computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a design support apparatus and design support method for optimal design, and a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the design support method is recorded.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Along with the improvement in computer performance in recent years, computer simulation is widely performed as a method for machine design, and its importance is increasing year by year.
[0003]
And before the actual production, the design
Examining functions can reduce development costs and development periods by reducing the number of prototypes at the product development stage, etc., which is beneficial not only for corporate activities, but also for environmental considerations such as resource saving. Become.
[0004]
On the other hand, there are many computer simulation programs that are currently on the market, but they are general-purpose, but if they are dedicated to analyzing a specific phenomenon, the method of use is difficult or necessary for the user (designer). Functions may not be included, or analysis capability may not be sufficient. Therefore, in the case where there is a clear purpose of use, a computer simulation having practicality that can be easily used by many designers cannot be realized unless it is a dedicated analysis system.
[0005]
Even in the case where a computer simulation is performed on the behavior of a sheet-like object such as paper conveyed in a copying machine, a printer, a document feeder, or a printing machine, a commercially available computer simulation program is not practical. In commercial computer simulation programs, simulation pre-processing and post-processing are executed by a dedicated pre / post tool. Convenience is low as post-processing (pre-post). Furthermore, even when a CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) system is linked with a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) system, a function sufficient to support the design of the sheet conveyance path cannot be obtained.
[0006]
On the other hand, the operability of current computer systems has been dramatically improved by a multi-window system such as X Window and Microsoft Windows and a graphical user interface. In other words, for example, it is possible to have multiple processing screens as windows, and an event occurs when a button placed on the window is clicked or an arbitrary position is double-clicked. Can be executed.
[0007]
A design support apparatus and a design support method have already been developed for processing on the multi-window system the result of computer simulation of the behavior of a sheet material such as paper conveyed using these functions. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-120220 discloses a data processing apparatus that is the basis of the design support apparatus, which takes into account the contact force between a sheet and a conveyance guide. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-116133 discloses an apparatus that considers the contact angle between the sheet guide and a conveyance guide that contacts the leading edge of the sheet, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-195052 discloses a conveyance force for conveying the sheet. Have been disclosed respectively. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-282825 discloses an apparatus that takes into consideration the moving speed of the leading edge of a sheet.
[0008]
However, in consideration of product assembly, removal of paper when a paper jam occurs, and the merging and branching of the conveyance path, the actual conveyance path includes a plurality of conveyance lines arranged at predetermined intervals at the seam. It is formed by a guide. Therefore, there is a problem that a paper jam that occurs at the joint due to the curl of the conveyed paper cannot be predicted by the design support apparatus or the design support method as described above.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is a design support apparatus and a design support method that take into account the state of an object that is actually transported, and a computer-readable program for realizing the design support method. It is an object to provide a simple recording medium.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above object is to provide a design support device that supports the design of the transport path according to the result of simulating the movement of the object along the transport path formed by a plurality of transport guides arranged in a row with a predetermined interval. An end distance calculating means for calculating a distance between the tip of the target object that has reached the interval and the end of the conveyance guide through which the tip passes next at an arbitrary time in the simulation, and an end distance By providing a design support apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the distance calculated by the calculation unit is equal to or less than a preset threshold value and displays the determination result Achieved. According to such means, it is possible to obtain an accurate evaluation in terms of clogging of an object that may occur at the joint of the transport guide during the transport process.
[0011]
In addition, when the new time is specified by the user, the end distance calculation means is configured to calculate the distance in the period based on a simulation result in the period from the time specified in the previous operation by the user to the new time. Can be calculated. According to such means, the transport state in the entire transport process can be obtained at the design stage. Here, the determination means further determines whether or not the distance in the period is equal to or less than the threshold value, and displays the result, the presence of data to be considered in the design of the transport path, It is possible to make the user recognize without omission in the entire conveyance process.
[0012]
When the determination means determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value at at least one time in the period, the simulation result at the time selected from the time when the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value is obtained. An image display means for displaying an image on the monitor may be further provided. According to such means, it is possible to selectively obtain an image display corresponding to data that needs to be particularly focused on in the design of the conveyance guide.
[0013]
In addition, if it is further provided with a sound output means for generating a sound when the determination means determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold at any time in the period, it is considered in the design of the transport route. The user can easily recognize the existence of data to be processed.
[0014]
In addition, when the determination unit determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value at any time in the period, the simulation result up to the time when the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value is displayed on the monitor as an image. The image display means for stopping the operation can be further provided. According to such a means, the user can easily recognize the conveyance location to be considered in the design of the conveyance route along with the conveyance progress to the conveyance location.
[0015]
Here, if the image display means displays the image on the monitor according to the preset attribute when performing the stop, it is easy for the user to determine the state to be considered in the design of the transport path. An image display to be recognized can be obtained.
[0016]
Another object of the present invention is to support the design of the transport path according to the result of simulating the motion of the object along the transport path formed by a plurality of transport guides arranged in a row with a predetermined interval. A design support method, a distance calculation step for calculating a distance between a tip of an object that has reached the interval and an end of a conveyance guide through which the tip passes next at an arbitrary time in a simulation, and a distance calculation Achieved by providing a design support method comprising: a determination step of determining whether the distance calculated in the step is equal to or less than a preset threshold and displaying the determination result Is done. According to such means, it is possible to accurately evaluate the possibility of clogging of the object at the joint of the transport guide during the transport process.
[0017]
In the distance calculation step, when a new time is designated by the user, the distance in the period is calculated based on a simulation result in a period from the time designated in the previous operation by the user to the new time. It can be calculated. According to such a means, the conveyance state in the entire conveyance process can be grasped at the design stage. In the determination step, it is further possible to determine whether or not the distance in the period is equal to or less than a threshold value and display the result. According to such means, it is possible to allow the user to recognize the existence of data to be considered in the design of the transport route without omission in the entire transport process.
[0018]
In the determination step, when it is determined that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold at at least one time in the period, the simulation result at the time selected from the times when the distance is equal to or less than the threshold. An image display step of displaying an image on the monitor can be further provided. According to such a means, it is possible to selectively display only the data that needs to be particularly focused on in the design of the transport guide.
[0019]
On the other hand, when it is determined in the determination step that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value at any time in the period, a sound output step for generating a sound may be further provided. According to such means, it is possible for the user to easily recognize the existence of data to be considered in the design of the transport route.
[0020]
In the determination step, when it is determined at any time in the period that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold value, the simulation results up to the time when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold value are displayed on the monitor and operated. An image display step for stopping the operation may be further provided. According to such a means, the user can easily recognize the conveyance location to be considered in the design of the conveyance route along with the conveyance progress to the conveyance location. Here, in the image display step, if the image is displayed on the monitor according to a preset attribute when the stop is performed, the state of the image displayed when the stop is performed in the design of the transport path. The user can easily recognize that it should be considered.
[0021]
Another object of the present invention is to design a conveyance path by a computer according to a result of simulating the movement of an object along a conveyance path formed by a plurality of conveyance guides arranged in a row with a predetermined interval. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for assisting is recorded, wherein the program includes, on the computer, a front end of an object that has reached the interval, and an end portion of a transport guide through which the front end passes. Is calculated at an arbitrary time in the simulation, and it is determined whether or not the calculated distance is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, and a result of the determination is displayed. This is achieved by providing a recording medium. According to such means, it is possible to easily realize an accurate evaluation in terms of the possibility of the object clogging at the joint of the transport guide during the transport process.
[0022]
In addition, when a new time is specified by the user, the program causes the computer to calculate the distance in the period based on a simulation result in a period from the time specified in the previous operation by the user to the new time. Can be calculated. According to such means, it is possible to easily realize the conveyance state at the design stage in the entire conveyance process.
[0023]
The program may further cause the computer to determine whether the distance in the period is equal to or less than a threshold and display the result. According to such means, it is possible to easily realize the existence of data to be considered in the design of the transport route without omission in the entire transport process.
[0024]
The program is further selected for the computer when the distance falls below the threshold when the computer determines that the distance falls below the threshold at at least one time in the period. The result of the simulation at a certain time can be displayed as an image on the monitor. According to such means, it is possible to easily realize selective image display only for data that needs to be particularly focused on in the design of the conveyance guide.
[0025]
In addition, when the computer determines that the distance is less than or equal to a threshold value at any time in the period, the program causes the computer to perform simulation results up to the time when the distance becomes less than or equal to the threshold value. Can be displayed on the monitor and the operation can be stopped. According to such a means, it is possible to easily make the user recognize the conveyance location to be considered in the design of the conveyance route along with the conveyance progress to the conveyance location.
[0026]
The program may display an image on a monitor according to a preset attribute when the computer is stopped. According to such means, it is possible to easily realize that the user recognizes that the state of the image displayed when stopped is to be considered in the design of the transport path.
[0027]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. In addition, the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment can be applied to the design of a conveyance path for all sheet materials, but in the following, a case of paper conveyance will be described as an example.
[0028]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an application window in the design support apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, the application window 1 is displayed on the display of the apparatus when the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment is activated.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 1, the application window 1 includes a simulation pre-processing unit 2, a drawing processing operation / display region 5, a coordinate display unit 9, a drawing region 10, a menu region 15, and an end proximity. A value / determination display area 16. The simulation pre-processing unit 2 includes a paper data input display unit 3, an initial curl input display unit 4, and the like, and the drawing processing operation / display area 5 includes a drawing operation unit 6, a time data display unit 7, and an N value. A setting unit 61 and the like are included.
[0030]
Here, as shown in FIG. 1, in the paper data input display unit 3, the type of paper to be conveyed (paper type), the size, length and width of the paper, and the number of divisions of the paper in the simulation, Can be input on the screen before the simulation is executed, and they are displayed when the simulation is executed. A button for selecting whether or not to perform the above division with high accuracy is also included.
[0031]
In addition, the initial curl input display unit 4 can select or set whether or not the paper in the simulation is curled before the simulation is executed, the curling direction, and the type and degree of curling. Further, the drawing processing operation / display area 5 displays the analysis result. For example, the total elapsed time (ms) from the initial state in the paper drawing process currently being drawn, and the time series index of data (steps described later) Number), total transport amount (mm), and the like, and an N value setting unit 61 for setting or changing an N value described later, a time data display unit 7 including a drawing operation unit 6, and the like are displayed. . Note that FIG. 1 shows a case where 1 is set in the N value setting unit 61.
[0032]
In addition, as shown in order from the left in FIG. 1, the drawing operation unit 6 has six types of drawing modes for designating drawing modes of continuous reverse, N step reverse, stop, N step order, continuous order, and initial state, which will be described later. Consists of buttons on the screen.
[0033]
In the drawing area 10, conveyance guides 12 a, 12 b, 13 a, 13 b constituting the conveyance paths 12, 13 in the simulation, rollers, rollers, etc. constituting the conveyance driving unit 11 are drawn as a two-dimensional layout diagram ( In addition, the shape of the transported paper 14 is simultaneously drawn based on the result of the motion simulation for the transported paper. Further, the coordinate display unit 9 shows the x coordinate and the y coordinate in the drawing area 10 designated by the mouse pointer 8.
[0034]
Further, in the edge proximity value / determination display area 16, as described later, the proximity distance (mm) between the edge portions 13 c and 13 d of the conveyance guide of interest and the edge portions 13 c and 13 d of the leading edge portion 14 a of the paper 14. , And a determination result based on a preset threshold and the magnitude of the proximity distance are displayed. Note that “NG” is displayed when the calculated proximity distance is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, and “OK” is displayed when the proximity distance exceeds the threshold value.
[0035]
In addition, when the user (designer of the transport route, hereinafter simply referred to as “designer”) clicks a portion displayed as “file” in the menu area 15, for example, a simulation result file name to be described later is input. A window is separately displayed, and when the user inputs and specifies a simulation result file name in the window, the operation shown in FIG. 5 described later is executed.
[0036]
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the joint region 17 of the conveyance guides 12a, 12b, 13a, and 13b shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the leading end portion 14 a of the paper 14 being conveyed passes through the conveyance path 12 and is re-conveyed by the conveyance driving unit 11 and enters the conveyance path 13. At this time, the paper 14 being transported is displayed in accordance with a simulation result that considers curls (curves) that exist in the initial state or that occur during the transport process. In the case shown in FIG. 2, the leading end portion 14a of the paper 14 is very close to the end portion 13c of the transport guide 13a.
[0037]
In practice, curling may occur due to changes in the characteristics of the paper 14 due to changes in the environment, and depending on the user, the paper on which the back side of the paper has been printed, that is, curled paper may be reused. However, the paper transport behavior under such conditions can also be predicted before trial manufacture of the product by drawing such simulation results.
[0038]
However, in the conventional simulation, no matter how close the front end portion 14a of the paper 14 is to the end portion 13c of the transport guide 13a, the calculation in the simulation is continued. For example, the front end portion 14a obviously goes out of the transport path 13. In the case of deviating, calculation may become impossible during the simulation and the operation may be terminated. Therefore, in the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment, as will be described later, when the leading end portion 14a of the paper 14 is closer to the end portion 13c of the conveyance guide 13a than a predetermined threshold, the user is recognized. Such functions are included.
[0039]
Further, the curl shape as a condition for the simulation is set based on the state of a certain test sample, but it is difficult to faithfully reflect the actual state of each sheet of paper. Therefore, in the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment, a judgment criterion for the simulation result is provided in consideration of the state of the paper that is actually conveyed. That is, for example, a threshold value is set in advance, and it is determined whether or not the distance between the end portion 13c of the conveyance guide 13a and the leading end portion 14a of the paper 14 is equal to or smaller than the threshold value. Assuming that the probability of a paper jam occurring increases, the designer is encouraged to make corrections. As described above, the effect equivalent to the product test in the conventional product development process can be obtained by the simulation and design support in which the curl condition and the determination standard are set.
[0040]
Here, an example of the simulation and design support results shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be specifically described. The leading end portion 14a of the paper 14 is close to the end portion 13c of the conveyance guide 13a, but a conveyance process that enters the conveyance path 13 without deviating from the conveyance path 13 is obtained. As shown in the part proximity value / determination display area 16, the proximity distance was calculated to be 0.06 millimeters. At this time, a paper jam occurred in an actual prototype test. This may be due to the fact that the initial curl condition setting in simulation differs from the actual paper curl state, or because the simulation is limited to a two-dimensional model.
[0041]
And in such a case, in order to perform effective design support based on the result obtained by simulation, it turns out that the threshold about the distance at the time of the closest needs to be larger than 0.06 millimeters. For example, the threshold S may be set to 2 millimeters.
[0042]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the design support apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the design support apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment is connected to a network 51 to which a CAD apparatus 53 and a server 52 are connected. The design support apparatus 20 includes a main control unit 21, a program processing unit 22, a drawing processing unit 23, an event processing control unit 24, a display processing unit 25, a program memory 26, and a closest distance calculation unit 27. A numerical comparison / determination unit 28, an external storage interface 29, a display unit 30, an operation input unit 31, an acoustic output unit 32, a network interface 33, a bus 34, and a data memory 40. 40 includes a simulation condition storage unit 41, a simulation result storage unit 42, a calculation / determination result storage unit 43, a determination threshold storage unit 44, and a display attribute data storage unit 45.
[0043]
Here, the main control unit 21, the program processing unit 22, the drawing processing unit 23, the event processing control unit 24, the display processing unit 25, the program memory 26, the closest distance calculation unit 27, and the numerical value comparison determination The unit 28, the external storage interface 29, the display unit 30, the operation input unit 31, the sound output unit 32, the network interface 33, and the data memory 40 are connected to the bus 34. An external storage device 50 is connected to the external storage interface 29, and a network 51 is connected to the network interface 33.
[0044]
In the design support apparatus 20 having the above configuration, the main control unit 21 controls the operation of the entire design support apparatus 20. The program memory 26 stores a simulation program and a program to be executed by the main control unit 21 in order to realize a predetermined design support method. Here, the simulation program conveys the paper into the conveyance path formed by the conveyance guide in order to guide the paper into a copying machine, a printer, a document feeder, a printing machine, and the like and perform a predetermined processing step. It is a program that performs numerical analysis of the going process dynamically. The program memory 26 may store a CAD program or the like for designing the conveyance path.
[0045]
The program processing unit 22 executes a program stored in the program memory 26. Further, the closest distance calculation unit 27 calculates the distance D (t) between the end portion of the conveyance guide and the front end portion of the paper as a function of the time t in the simulation, as will be described later. Then, the numerical value comparison / determination unit 28 determines the magnitude relationship between the distance D (t) and the threshold value set in advance and stored in the determination threshold value storage unit 44. The determination result is displayed in the edge proximity value / determination display area 16 shown in FIG. 1 as described above, and the calculation / determination result storage unit 43 included in the data memory 40 can be referred to as necessary. Alternatively, it may be stored in the external storage device 50.
[0046]
The display unit 30 is composed of a display or the like, and displays the application window 1 and the like shown in FIG. 1 including the results of simulation and design support. The operation input unit 31 includes a keyboard, a mouse, and the like that are operated to input simulation conditions or specify a method for displaying the obtained results. The sound output unit 32 generates a warning sound for alerting the designer.
[0047]
Further, the simulation condition storage unit 41 included in the data memory 40 stores various conditions set at the time of simulation, that is, for example, a paper characteristic value input via the operation input unit 31 and transport path design data. To do. These various conditions are read from the simulation condition storage unit 41 when the simulation program is executed, and a simulation is executed.
[0048]
The simulation result storage unit 42 stores data obtained as a result of the simulation. The display attribute data storage unit 45 stores data for determining the attribute of data to be displayed. The data stored in the data memory 40 is taken from the external storage device 50 via the external storage interface 29 or transferred from the CAD device 53 or server 52 connected to the network 51 via the network interface 33. Can be things. The other components shown in FIG. 3 will be described later.
[0049]
In the above simulation, the equation of motion describing the motion of paper is solved after being approximated by an algebraic expression having a finite amount of space and time. For space, typical methods include the difference method and the finite element method. For time, the Runge-Kutta method, linear acceleration method (including Newmark's beta method), Wilson's theta method, and the Houbold method. Although there is a law, the design support method and the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment can be applied without depending on these methods. That is, the design support method and the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment can obtain the solution of the displacement of the representative point of the sheet material at an arbitrary time and the force acting when the sheet material and the conveyance guide come into contact with each other. Any simulation method can be applied.
[0050]
Next, the operation of the design support apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 3 according to the simulation program will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. After starting the program execution in step S1, in step S2, first, conveyance guide data including the shape and coordinate values of the conveyance guide, various data such as rigidity and density determined from the Young's modulus of the paper, the thickness and width of the paper, Simulation conditions such as parameters necessary for the calculation are read from the simulation condition storage unit 41, and the paper and the conveyance guide are modeled in step S3.
[0051]
In step S4, the paper transport process is sequentially calculated from the initial state to an arbitrary time. Here, the calculation at the (n + 1) th step in the simulation is performed based on the calculation result at the nth step. That is, for example, when the paper conveyance state up to time T is calculated by simulation, in the next step in the simulation, simulation at time (T + Δt) in which Δt is added to T is performed. Note that Δt is not always a constant value, and may be adjusted during the simulation so as to obtain a convergent solution.
[0052]
In step S5, such calculation is repeated a predetermined number of times. In step S6, based on the calculation result in the above simulation, it is determined whether or not the conveyance guide and the paper are in contact with each other. In step S7, a simultaneous motion equation for the paper is created in consideration of the force received from the conveyance guide when it is determined that the paper is in contact.
[0053]
In step S8, the simultaneous equations are solved. However, depending on the value of Δt, a normal solution may not be obtained. Therefore, in step S9, whether a normal solution is obtained and whether the simulation has been completed normally is determined. To be judged. At this time, if it is determined that the process has not ended normally, the process proceeds to step S21, the simulation time is returned to (T−Δt), and Δt is reset to a smaller value in step S22, and the process returns to step S4. Return.
[0054]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S9 that the process has been completed normally, the process proceeds to step S10, where a convergence determination is made as to whether or not the obtained solution has converged. The reason for determining the convergence is that when solving the simultaneous equations, nonlinear analysis is performed in consideration of the fact that the paper can be greatly deformed, and an iterative solution method such as Newton-Raphson method is applied.
[0055]
If it is determined in step S10 that it has not converged, the process proceeds to step S20. If the number of iterations has not reached the predetermined maximum number (maximum number of loops), the process proceeds to step S5. The iterative calculation is performed. Here, the “number of iterations” is the number of iterations performed until the time T is updated at a certain time T on the simulation. When the time T is updated, it is reset and counted from 1. It will be fixed. If it is determined in step S20 that the number of iterations has reached the maximum number of loops, if the maximum number of loops is exceeded, the possibility of convergence is low, and the process proceeds to step S21.
[0056]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that it has converged, the process proceeds to step S11, where the contact force between the paper and the conveyance guide at time T and the solution regarding the position of the paper are obtained simultaneously. . Further, a design support process is performed by the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment. Specifically, for example, the obtained result is saved as a separate data file in the simulation result storage unit 42 or the external storage device 50 as necessary, or a geometric shape indicating the deformation state of the paper is drawn by the drawing processing unit 23 ( If the paper is in contact with the conveyance guide for a part of the calculation result by simulation, the magnitude of the contact force is displayed on the display unit 30 by the display processing unit 25. Let
[0057]
In step S12, it is determined whether or not the time T has reached the final time for executing the simulation. When it is determined that the time T has been reached, the operation is terminated, and when it is determined that the time T has not been reached. Then, the process proceeds to step S22.
[0058]
In the above description, after all the simulations are completed, a calculation result obtained by the simulation by executing the design support program is read from the simulation result storage unit 42, and the design support process in step S11 is executed. Also good.
[0059]
Hereinafter, an example of the design support processing operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. With the start of the process in step S1, the simulation result file name is input by the user to the operation input unit 31 in step S2. In step S3, the display processing unit 25 displays the simulation conditions included in the file specified by the input file name on the display unit 30.
[0060]
Next, in step S4, the drawing processing unit 23 performs drawing processing of the conveyance guide, and in step S5, the drawing processing unit 23 similarly performs processing for drawing the initial state of the paper. In step S6, an event wait state is entered. For example, if an event of a drawing process occurs, the process proceeds to step S7 to perform a drawing process to be described later, and in step S8, a display process such as a numerical value is performed as necessary. Return to.
[0061]
On the other hand, if another event occurs in step S6, the process proceeds to step S10, where, for example, processing such as enlargement, reduction, or movement of drawing is performed and the design support processing operation is terminated, or the process returns to step S6. In step S6, when an event for instructing to end the design support processing operation occurs, the operation by the execution of the design support program is ended.
[0062]
Next, the above drawing processing operation will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the drawing process is started in step S1, simulation result data at the selected time is read from the simulation result storage unit 42 in step S2. Note that the design data of the conveyance guide is read from the simulation condition storage unit 41 for drawing the conveyance guide.
[0063]
Here, since the simulation result data is a considerable amount as a whole, data as necessary is selectively read from the simulation result storage unit 42, and the efficiency of operation and circuit configuration is improved.
[0064]
In step S3, the deformation coordinates of the paper in the coordinate system on the design drawing and the coordinates of the transport guide are converted into coordinates in the coordinate system on the display unit 30. Next, in step S4, drawing attributes corresponding to drawing objects such as preset line types, line widths, and colors are read from the display attribute data storage unit 45, and are obtained in steps S3 and S4 in step S5. Drawing (image display) based on the acquired data is executed. Then, the drawing processing operation is completed by such an operation.
[0065]
Next, the event processing control processing operation shown in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This event processing control processing operation is controlled by the event processing control unit 24 shown in FIG. When event processing control is started in step S1, it is determined in step S2 whether or not an instruction to perform event processing is given to the drawing operation unit 6.
[0066]
When an event related to drawing occurs, the drawing mode is set according to the type of the event, and the drawing process in the drawing mode is executed. Here, the drawing mode includes the initial state mode of step S3a, the continuous reverse mode of step S3b, the N step reverse mode of step S3c, the continuous order mode of step S3d, and the N step order mode of step S3e. There are a stop mode in step S3g and other modes shown in step S3f. In the above, “forward” means the forward direction in the time series in the simulation, and “reverse” means the opposite direction.
[0067]
Then, as shown in FIG. 7, in the initial state mode, the index n of the time series data is set to 0 in step S4a. Similarly, in the continuous reverse mode and the N step reverse mode, the index n is set to (n−N) in step S4b, and in the continuous order mode and the N step order mode, the index n is set to (n + N) in step S4c. . Here, in step S5, the index n is corrected to 0 when it is a negative value, and is corrected to the maximum value when it exceeds the maximum value, and the event processing control ends. The index n is referred to when designating a simulation time, and the simulation result data read from the simulation result storage unit 42 in step S2 shown in FIG. 6 is selected according to the index n.
[0068]
If an event designating another drawing mode such as enlarging or reducing drawing is input to the drawing operation unit 6 in step S2, the index n is maintained in step S3f, and the event processing control is ended. . If an event designating the stop mode is input to the drawing operation unit 6 in step S2, the index n is maintained in step S3g, and the process returns to step S2.
[0069]
On the other hand, if no event is input to the drawing operation unit 6 in step S2, the process proceeds to step S10 to determine whether or not the current drawing mode is the continuous drawing mode. If the current drawing mode is the continuous drawing mode, the process proceeds to step S3b or step S3d depending on the mode. If the current drawing mode is not the continuous drawing mode, the process returns to step S2. As described above, for example, when the user presses the button for designating the continuous order mode of the operation unit 6 shown in FIG. 1, the paper transport process is displayed in the drawing area 10 as a continuous animation in the order shown in FIGS. Is done.
[0070]
From such a point, according to the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to visually evaluate the paper conveyance process, and therefore it is possible to easily realize the design of the optimum conveyance path.
[0071]
Next, a design support method realized by the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment will be further described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition, the following design support method is implement | achieved by running the predetermined program described in either the design support program or the simulation program with a computer. In the following processing, the end portion 13c of the transport guide to which attention is paid at the time of calculation and the simulation time T in the transport process are designated in advance.
[0072]
First, when the design support operation is started in step S1, the distance D (T) between the leading end portion 14a of the paper 14 and the end portion 13c of the conveyance guide designated in advance by the closest distance calculating unit 27 in step S2 is obtained. Calculated. More specifically, step S2 includes step S2a and step S2b. In step S2a, first, the coordinate values (x coordinate and y coordinate) in the drawing region 10 of the end 13c of the conveyance guide are respectively set to variables gx and gy. Then, the coordinate values (x coordinate and y coordinate) in the drawing area 10 of the leading edge 14a of the paper at time T are stored in variables px and py, respectively. In step S2b, ((gx-px) ² + (Gy + py) ² ) ^1/2 , The above distance D (T) is calculated.
[0073]
Next, at step S3, the calculated distance D (T) is displayed as the proximity distance (mm) of the edge proximity value / determination display area 16 shown in FIG. It is stored in the storage unit 43. In step S4, the numerical value comparison / determination unit 28 compares the preset threshold value S with the size of the distance D (T). If the distance D (T) is equal to or smaller than the threshold value S, it is determined as “NG”. When the distance D (T) is larger than the threshold value S, it is determined as “OK”. Further, in step S5, the determination result is displayed and stored as in step S3.
[0074]
When the processing shown in FIG. 8 is executed in the simulation program, for example, when the end portions of the conveyance guide are sequentially referred to in the design support processing in step S11 shown in FIG. can do. On the other hand, when the processing is executed in the design support program, it can be performed when referring to the time T and the end of the conveyance guide during the drawing in the design support.
[0075]
Further, in the above description, the geometric shapes of the transport guides 12a, 12b, 13a, and 13b are all indicated by lines. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the transport guide 13a is actually at the end of the transport guide. A thick structure having the curved portion 13e is formed. In addition, in FIG. 9, the conveyance guide back surface 13f is shown with a broken line.
[0076]
However, in order to efficiently perform the above simulation, it is sufficient to have only data on the surface of the conveyance guide 13a that may come into contact with the paper 14. For example, the end 13c of the conveyance guide 13a 9, it is defined as an end portion on the inner surface of the conveyance path 13 excluding the conveyance guide curved portion 13e. By defining the end portion 13c in this way, the safety probability that does not cause a paper jam can be maximized.
[0077]
In addition, although the paper 14 that is the object to be transported is actually thick, in the above description, the middle point of the line segment connecting the point on the front surface and the point on the back surface of the paper is used. A geometric shape indicating a surface composed of a set is displayed as the paper 14 in the simulation, and the leading end of the geometric shape is a leading end portion 14 a of the paper 14. In this case, the leading end portion 14a of the paper 14 may be determined in consideration of the thickness of the paper 14, but the thickness can be determined by adjusting the threshold S and the initial curl amount as an initial condition of the simulation. It is also possible to obtain the same effect as in the case of considering the above.
[0078]
In the following, with respect to a design support method and a configuration for realizing the method for conveying the risk of actual paper jam in the joint area 17 of the transport guide to the designer of the transport path more effectively, FIG. This will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
[0079]
The operations shown in FIG. 11 are the same as steps S1 to S6 and steps S7 and S10 shown in FIG. 5 with respect to steps S1 to S6 and steps S8 and S20, respectively. Steps S7 and S10 are newly added, and the operation is different in step S9. In the operation shown in FIG. 11, the distance D (T) shown in FIG. 8 is calculated for all the end portions of the conveyance guide at all times on the simulation, and the magnitude with respect to the threshold S is determined. It is assumed that these results have been saved.
[0080]
First, the evaluation process in step S7 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the description of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the drawing currently displayed in the drawing area 10 is based on the data with the index n, and the drawing displayed in the drawing area 10 before that has the index ( n-N) based on the data.
[0081]
When the evaluation process is started in step S1, in step S2, the distance D (T) obtained with respect to data in which the index indicating the time series is (n−N + 1) to n and the determination result are calculated and the determination result storage unit 43. Read from. In step S3, the main control unit 21 determines whether there is data for which the determination result is NG. If there is data determined to be NG, the process proceeds to step S4.
[0082]
Here, in step S4, the drawing mode is changed to the stop mode, and the evaluation processing operation is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that there is no data determined as NG, the evaluation processing operation is immediately terminated.
[0083]
Accordingly, with the evaluation processing operation shown in FIG. 12, the data existing between the data drawn in the drawing area 10 in the time series, that is, the data whose index is (n−N + 1) to (n−1) is also obtained. Anything that should be considered in the design of the transport path will be recognized by the designer.
[0084]
Next, in the display process in step S9 shown in FIG. 11, the distance D (T) and the determination result at time T obtained for each end of the transport guide are as shown in FIG. It is displayed in the edge proximity value / determination display area 16 together with the index.
[0085]
Next, the warning process in step S10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When this warning process is started in step S1, if it is determined in step S2 that there is data determined to be NG in the evaluation process of step S7 shown in FIG. 11, the process proceeds to step S3 and main control is performed. The unit 21 causes the sound output unit 32 to generate a buzzer. When it is determined that there is no data determined as NG in the evaluation process, the warning process operation is immediately terminated from step S2. In this way, by executing the warning processing operation shown in FIG. 13, if there is data to be considered in the design of the conveyance path, it is possible to make the designer recognize that fact by the warning sound.
[0086]
Further, in addition to the above, as shown in FIG. 10, the display attribute data storage unit 45 shown in FIG. 3 is replaced with a determination OK drawing attribute data storage unit 45a and a determination NG drawing attribute data storage unit 45b. Can be included. Then, different drawing attribute data is set in advance in these storage units, drawing based on data whose determination result is NG is drawn based on the drawing attribute data stored in the determination NG drawing attribute data storage unit 45b, Drawing with data whose determination result is OK is drawn based on the drawing attribute data stored in the drawing attribute data storage unit 45a at the time of determination OK. According to such a method, the drawing displayed by the data whose determination result is NG is the drawing of the line type, the thickness, the color, etc. with respect to the drawing displayed by the data whose determination result is OK. Since the attribute can be changed, the designer's attention can be easily drawn, and so-called oversight of data in which the determination result by the designer is NG can be avoided.
[0087]
Further, in the above embodiment, the display unit 30 displays only the conveyance process of the portion that may actually cause a paper jam in the joint area 17 of the conveyance path. Can be provided quickly. That is, by operating the drawing operation unit 6 shown in FIG. 1, the user can display a data display area 70 described later shown in FIG. 14 in the application window 1, or A window including the data display area 70 can be displayed on the display unit 30 by selecting a predetermined menu in the menu area 15 shown in FIG.
[0088]
In the data display area 70, as shown in FIG. 14, a set threshold value S (“2 mm” in FIG. 14), a data number display section 72, a data selection button 73, and a data display are displayed. Part 74 is displayed. Here, the data number display unit 72 displays a fraction (“5/15” in FIG. 14) having the total number of data as a denominator and the ordinal index of data displayed in the data display unit 74 as a numerator. In addition, two buttons for displaying the data corresponding to the selected ordinal index by increasing or decreasing the ordinal index assigned to the data are displayed as the data selection button 73.
[0089]
Further, the data display unit 74 displays the distance D (T) calculated to be equal to or smaller than the threshold value S (“0.12 mm” in FIG. 14) and the conveyance targeted for the calculation of the distance. An index at the end of the guide (“13c” in FIG. 14) and a simulation time when the distance is calculated (“155 ms” in FIG. 14) are displayed.
[0090]
The operation for displaying the data display area 70 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, when the user operates the drawing operation unit 6 or the like shown in FIG. 1, the display operation is started in step S1. In step S2, only the data determined that the calculated distance from the end portion of the transport guide to the leading end portion of the paper is equal to or less than the threshold value S and is determined to be NG is selectively read from the calculation / determination result storage unit 43, and a predetermined variable Substitute into arrays a (0), a (1), a (2)..., A (m). At this time, the total number m of data and the ordinal index for each data are determined.
[0091]
Next, in step S3, the screen of the data display area 70 shown in FIG. In addition, the order of this step S3 and said step S2 can also be replaced.
[0092]
In step S4, any one of the data stored in the variable arrays a (0), a (1), a (2)..., A (m) is displayed in the data display area 70 as initial data. To do. Next, in step S5, the paper conveyance state at the simulation time when the data displayed in step S4 is calculated is drawn in the drawing area 10 according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. In step S6, the process waits until the data selection button 73 shown in FIG. 14 or the operation end button displayed in the display unit 30 is pressed.
[0093]
At this time, when the operation end button is pressed, the display operation is ended, and when any data is selected by pressing the data selection button 73, the selected time is selected in step S7. Is displayed in the data display area 70. Next, in step S8, the paper conveyance state at the simulation time at which the data displayed in step S7 is calculated is drawn in the drawing area 10 according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, and the process returns to step S6.
[0094]
The simulation program or the design support program according to the present embodiment is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and the above operation is realized by reading the recording medium and executing it by a computer. Still further, any of the operations described above with reference to the flowcharts can be expressed by a program, which is realized by causing a computer to read and execute a recording medium on which the program is recorded.
[0095]
As described above, according to the design support method and the design support apparatus that realizes the method according to the present embodiment, a paper jam that may actually occur in the joint region 17 of the transport guides 12a, 12b, 13a, and 13b is detected in the transport process. Since the prediction can be accurately made based on the simulation result, the design of the transport path formed by the transport guide can be effectively supported.
[0096]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, at an arbitrary time in the simulation, the distance between the front end of the object that has reached the interval between the transport guides and the end of the transport guide through which the front end passes next is calculated, and the calculated distance is If it is determined whether or not it is equal to or less than a preset threshold value and the result is displayed, an accurate design evaluation can be shown to the user regarding clogging of an object that may occur at the joint of the transport guide during the transport process. Therefore, it is possible to effectively support the design of the conveyance path.
[0097]
Further, when a new time is designated by the user, if the distance in the period is calculated based on the simulation result in the period from the time designated by the user in the previous operation to the new time, Since the user can grasp the conveyance state in the process at the design stage, it is possible to reliably support the design of the conveyance path. Here, if it is determined whether or not the distance in the period is equal to or less than the threshold value and the result is displayed, the existence of data to be considered in the design of the transport path is leaked in the entire transport process. Therefore, the design can be supported with high reliability.
[0098]
When it is determined that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold at at least one time in the period, the simulation result at the time selected among the times when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold is displayed on the monitor. By displaying an image, it is possible to selectively display data that needs special attention in the design of the transport guide, so that the design of the transport guide can be efficiently supported.
[0099]
In addition, by generating a sound when it is determined that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value at any time in the period, the user can easily recognize the existence of data to be considered in the design of the transport route. Therefore, design support can be performed more reliably.
[0100]
Further, when it is determined that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold value at any time in the period, the simulation results up to the time when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold value are displayed on the monitor as an operation. If the operation is stopped, the user can easily recognize the conveyance location to be considered in the design of the conveyance route as the conveyance progresses to the conveyance location, so that more effective design support can be performed.
[0101]
Here, when performing the above stop, if an image is displayed on a monitor according to a preset attribute, an image display that allows the user to easily recognize the state to be considered in the design of the transport path is provided. Therefore, design support can be performed more reliably.
[0102]
Further, the above effect can be easily obtained by executing the program by the computer using a computer-readable recording medium in which the program describing the design support is recorded.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an application window in a design support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a joint area of the conveyance guide shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a design support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart showing a simulation operation by the design support apparatus shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a first flowchart showing a design support processing operation according to the embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a flowchart showing the drawing processing operation shown in FIG. 5;
7 is a flowchart showing an event processing control processing operation shown in FIG. 5. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a second flowchart showing a design support processing operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a design support processing operation in consideration of the thickness of the conveyance guide shown in FIG. 2;
10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a display attribute data storage unit shown in FIG. 4. FIG.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the design support processing operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart showing an evaluation processing operation shown in FIG.
13 is a flowchart showing the warning processing operation shown in FIG.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing specific data display in the design support processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an operation for obtaining the display shown in FIG. 14;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Application window
2 Pre-processing unit for simulation
3 Paper data input display section
4 Initial curl input display
5 Drawing processing operation / display area
6 Drawing operation part
7 Time data display
8 Mouse pointer
9 Coordinate display section
10 Drawing area
11 Transport drive
12,13 Transport route
12a, 12b, 13a, 13b Transport guide
13c, 13d Guide end
13e Conveying guide curved part
13f Back of conveyance guide
14 paper
14a Tip
15 Menu area
16 Edge proximity value / judgment display area
17 Seam area
20 Design support device
21 Main control unit
22 Program processing section
23 Drawing processor
24 Event processing controller
25 Display processing section
26 Program memory
27 Closest Distance Calculation Unit
28 Numerical comparison judgment unit
29 External storage interface
30 Display section
31 Operation input section
32 Sound output unit
33 Network interface
34 Bus
40 data memory
41 Simulation condition storage unit
42 Simulation result storage unit
43 Calculation / judgment result storage
44. Threshold storage unit for determination
45 Display attribute data storage
45a Drawing attribute data storage unit for determination OK
45b Drawing attribute data storage unit for determination NG
50 External storage device
51 network
52 servers
53 CAD equipment
61 N value setting section
70 Data display area
72 Number of data display
73 Data selection button
74 Data display area

Claims (20)

A design support device that supports the design of the transport path according to the result of simulating the motion of the object along the transport path formed by a plurality of transport guides arranged to have a predetermined interval,
At any time in the simulation, for transport guide data consisting of the shape and coordinate axes of the transport guide, various data such as stiffness and density determined by the Young's modulus of the object and the thickness and width of the object, and calculation The simulation conditions such as necessary parameters are read from the simulation storage unit, the object and the conveyance guide are modeled, and the conveyance process of the object is sequentially calculated from an initial state to an arbitrary time later, the conveyance guide and the conveyance guide When the object is in contact, considering the force that the object receives from the transport guide, create a simultaneous equation of motion for the object and solve it to determine the position of the object then passing after obtaining the solution of the tip and the tip of the object which is closest distance calculation unit was approaching the interval And the end portion distance calculating means for calculating a distance between the conveyance guide end that,
A numerical comparison determination unit that determines whether the distance calculated by the end distance calculation unit is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, and a drawing processing unit that displays the determination result; A design support apparatus characterized by comprising: It said end distance calculation means, when a new the time is specified by the user, based on the simulation result in a period until the new time from the time specified in the previous operation by the user, recent The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact distance calculation unit calculates the distance in the period. The design support according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit further determines whether the numerical comparison determination unit determines whether the distance in the period is equal to or less than the threshold value, and the drawing processing unit displays the determination result. apparatus. When the determination means determines that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold at at least one time in the period, the drawing processing unit at the time selected in the time when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold The design support apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising image display means for displaying an image of the simulation result on a monitor. The design support according to claim 2, further comprising: a sound output unit that causes the sound output unit to generate a sound when the determination unit determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value at any time in the period. apparatus. When the determination unit determines that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold value at any time in the period, the drawing processing unit monitors the simulation result up to the time when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold value. The design support apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising image display means for displaying an image on the top and stopping the operation. The design support apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image display means displays an image on the monitor according to a preset attribute when the drawing processing unit performs the stop. A design support method for supporting the design of the transport path according to the result of simulating the movement of an object along the transport path formed by a plurality of transport guides arranged to have a predetermined interval,
At any time in the simulation, the conveyance guide of the shape and the coordinate axes and the like conveyance guide data, various data such as determined from such a thickness and width Maru rigidity and density of the Young's modulus and the object of the object, calculates The simulation conditions such as parameters required for reading out from the simulation storage unit, modeling the object and the transport guide, sequentially calculating the transport process of the object from an initial state to an arbitrary time later, the transport guide and When the object is in contact, the position of the object is determined by creating a simultaneous equation of motion for the object in consideration of the force that the object receives from the transport guide and solving it. after obtaining a solution for the tip and the tip of recently the object contact distance calculation unit is approaching the interval then through A distance calculation step of calculating a distance between the conveyance guide end that,
A numerical value comparison and determination unit including a determination step of determining whether or not the distance calculated in the distance calculation step is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, and the drawing processing unit displaying the determination result. Design support method characterized by that. In the distance calculating step, when the new time is specified by the user, the closest calculation is performed based on the simulation result in the period from the time specified in the previous operation by the user to the new time. The design support method according to claim 8, wherein a distance calculation unit calculates the distance in the period. The design support according to claim 9, wherein in the determination step, the numerical comparison determination unit further determines whether the distance in the period is equal to or less than the threshold value, and the drawing processing unit displays the determination result. Method. In the determination step, when it is determined that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold at at least one time in the period, the drawing processing unit at the time selected in the time when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold The design support method according to claim 9, further comprising an image display step of displaying an image of the simulation result on a monitor. The design according to claim 9, further comprising: an acoustic output step in which an acoustic output unit generates a sound when the determination step determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold at any time in the period. Support method. In the determination step, when it is determined that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold at any time in the period, the drawing processing unit monitors the simulation result until the time when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold. The design support method according to claim 9, further comprising an image display step of displaying an image above and stopping the operation. The design support method according to claim 13, wherein in the image display step, when performing the stop, the drawing processing unit displays an image on the monitor according to a preset attribute. A program for supporting the design of the transport path by a computer is recorded according to the result of simulating the motion of the object along the transport path formed by a plurality of transport guides arranged in a row with a predetermined interval. A computer-readable recording medium,
In the computer,
Simulation conditions such as conveyance guide data consisting of the shape and coordinate axes of the conveyance guide, various data such as rigidity and density determined by the Young's modulus of the object and the thickness and width of the object, and parameters necessary for calculation When reading from a simulation storage unit, modeling the object and the conveyance guide, sequentially calculating the conveyance process of the object from an initial state to an arbitrary time later, and the conveyance guide and the object are in contact In consideration of the force that the object receives from the transport guide, a simultaneous equation of motion for the object is created and solved to obtain a solution for the position of the object. the distance between the conveyance guide end tip and the tip of the object which approaching the interval contact distance calculation unit is then passed through the simulation Is calculated at an arbitrary time in Shon,
A computer-readable recording of a program characterized by causing a numerical comparison determination unit to determine whether or not the calculated distance is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, and causing the drawing processing unit to display the determination result Possible recording media. When the new time is specified by the user, the program may cause the computer to use the latest simulation result during the period from the time specified in the previous operation by the user to the new time. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15 , wherein a contact distance calculation unit calculates the distance in the period. 17. The program according to claim 16, further comprising: causing the computer to cause the numerical comparison / determination unit to determine whether the distance in the period is equal to or less than the threshold, and causing the drawing processing unit to display the determination result. Computer-readable recording medium. In the program, when the computer determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold at at least one time in the period, the program causes the drawing processing unit to reduce the distance to the threshold or less. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 16, wherein the simulation result at a time selected among the times is displayed as an image on a monitor. The program further when the distance is determined to be less than the threshold at any time in within the period by the computer, the computer, the time when the distance to the drawing processing unit is equal to or less than the threshold value The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 16, wherein the result of the simulation up to is displayed on a monitor to stop the operation. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 19, wherein when the computer causes the computer to perform the stop, the computer causes the computer to display an image on the monitor according to an attribute preset in a drawing processing unit .

Images